Concerns about the erosion of the ‘taboo’ on chemical weapons use have deepened in recent years, in particular following the chemical weapons attacks that have taken place in the Syrian conflict. The sanctions regime against the proliferation and use of chemical weapons which the EU adopted in October 2018 constitutes the Union’s first coercive instrument against chemical weapons, and is an attempt by the EU to support the multilateral chemical disarmament regime after efforts to frame a response via the United Nations Security Council failed.
Digital technologies can vastly improve the operational readiness and effectiveness of Europe’s armed forces. As this Brief shows, however, the EU needs to better understand the risks and opportunities involved in the digitalisation of defence and it needs to financially invest in its technological sovereignty.
In the wake of the Artificial Intelligence Strategy unveiled by the US Department of Defense in 2019, this Brief examines the implications of the initiative for Europe and for transatlantic defence cooperation. It argues that Europeans need to develop a strategy for military innovation, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), while the transatlantic partners need to design a common approach to AI governance.